Orthodox Jews Donate Plasma By the Thousands

Thousands of frum Jews lined up to donate plasma to possibly save the lives of critically ill COVID-19 patients, YWN reported.

The testing was arranged by Lakewood Bikur Cholim and held at three locations in Flatbush, one site in Boro Park, and one site in Baltimore.

In Flatbush, around 2,000 tests were done by Flatbush Hatzolah with logistics coordinated by Flatbush Shomrim. Locations in Flatbush were Yeshiva Chaim Berlin on Coney Island Avenue, The Sephardic Community Center on Ocean Parkway & Avenue S, and the Flatbush Hatzolah Garage on Ocean Avenue and Avenue N.

The Boro Park testing location was held at Ateres Golda Hall, and was run by Boro Park Hatzolah in conjunction with Yachad and logistics arranged by Boro Park Shomrim. Around 2,000 tests were done in Boro Park.

In Baltimore around 1,000 tests were done on Wednesday as well.

These add to the already 1,000 tests done on Sunday in Lakewood.

The blood of those who had COVID-19 and recovered most likely contains antibodies that are able to attack the COVID-19 virus. Thus, plasma, a component of one’s blood that contains antibodies, can be used to treat COVID-19 patients and has been proven to give them a better chance of fighting off the virus.

The plasma kits were provided by the Mayo Clinic, and the tests were flown there afterwards by private jet, YWN said.

Meanwhile, an article in the Forward reports that more than half of the plasma donors at Mount Sinai Hospital are Orthodox Jews.

In an article published Tuesday in Mishpacha Magazine, Yonoson Rosenblum wrote that the plasma donation effort stood to create a world in which “all the negative news coverage of chareidi Jews was suddenly replaced by images of chareidi Covid-19 survivors lining up in multitudes to give potentially life-saving convalescent blood plasma to those still battling the virus.”

#ConvalescentPlasma after filling all the available slots of the local blood banks, members of the Orthodox Jewish community in Rockland Co. NY, traveled Delaware to donate plasma to save lives. Proud that our community is at the forefront of this initiative @MountSinaiNYC pic.twitter.com/zGVHRYYOmr

— Chaim M Lebovits (@LebovitsM) April 22, 2020